HBO Gives *Worst* Response to #NoConfederate Campaign: We DGAF

Well, HBO officially released a statement in response to the Twitter campaign #NoConfederate, which opposed the new TV show and the statement was basically a big FU to fans.

A reminder, HBO released news that they are planning a new show called Confederate, which would reimagine a history in which the South won the Civil War and slavery persisted (aka slavery fan fiction). Fans were understandably upset because clearly racism still very much exists and so does modern day slavery — it’s called “the prison industrial complex.”

That brings us to Sunday, when April Reign, aka the creator of the movement #OscarsSoWhite, organized a new hashtag #NoConfederate that would (and did!) trend during Game of Thrones Sunday night to tell HBO to cut the show in its tracks.

And this was HBO’s response:

“We have great respect for the dialogue and concern being expressed around Confederate. We have faith that [writers] Nichelle, Dan, David, and Malcolm will approach the subject with care and sensitivity. The project is currently in its infancy so we hope that people will reserve judgment until there is something to see.”

What a slap in the face! You “respect” the dialogue? Oh, really? If you truly respected us and our feelings, you would cancel the show. You would not go on with your plans and ignore us.

And you “have faith” that four white men can produce a non-racist show? Um, have you been to America?

This is absolutely ridiculous and we are incensed that HBO would release just an insensitive statement. But perhaps that’s what we should expect from a company willing to release such an insensitive show?

Not only that, but the statement is in fact, quite condescending. We have enough experience with racism that we don’t need to “wait and see” to reserve judgment. And to insist that we should hold off on feeling angry until there’s something tangible to be angry about is just plain insulting.

Lena Finkel is the Editor and Founder of Femestella. Prior to started Femestella, she worked at People, InStyle, and Tiger Beat. She’s currently obsessed with Vanderpump Rules, lipstick, and her kitty Tom.